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WASHINGTON—Today Congressman Luke Messer (IN-06) and 27 of his Freshman Colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives expressed strong support for repeal of the Health Insurance Tax (HIT) imposed by the Affordable Care Act.

Experts estimate the cost of this massive new sales tax on health insurers will amount to more than $100 billion over the next decade and a loss of up to 262,000 jobs due to labor cutbacks and other cost-cutting measures.

“It’s the largest and one of the most damaging tax increases imposed by the Affordable Care Act,” said Congressman Luke Messer. “This tax increase will lead to higher rates for consumers at a time when rates are already increasing due to the President’s health care law. That’s unfair.”

According to the Congressional Budget Office, this policy will cause the average family to pay more than $300 in higher premiums next year alone and an average of $5,080 more over the next decade.

Right now, there is strong bipartisan support for legislation in the House that would repeal the Health Insurance Tax. There are 228 cosponsors from both sides of the aisle for H.R. 763 including 35 of 37 Republican freshmen.

“Common sense dictates that taxing health insurance won’t improve its quality or make it more affordable,” the signers state in the letter. “It just will make it more expensive, especially for those on fixed incomes who least can afford it.”

The letter urges House Republican Leadership to include repeal of the HIT in any tax reform proposals considered in the House.